The Paradox Man
by Herio9071
Summary: Alan Sterling was a sheltered young man studying to be a professional violinist. Suddenly, his life is changed when two Imagin began fighting at his school and he is swept away by a black and yellow train called the DenLiner. Faced with becoming the next Den-O, Alan must now fight to get his life back and to uncover the reason why he is being targeted by the Imagin.


Note: So, this is me doing an actual Rider series, not just a one shot or a mini-story. This takes place in the Den-O universe and takes place post Den-O, OOO, All Riders. That said, you will literally not need to know anything about Den-O or Rider to get into this. Everything will be explained. So, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Den-O is owned by Ishinomori and Toei. I own all original characters, however.

* * *

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

― C.G. Jung

The night air was cold. The nightlife of Shibuya was bustling, people going from club to club, shops filled with kids looking for the latest fashions; shady deals happening in back alleys. While the city crawled to life, three figures stood atop the 109 building, watching. The strangest thing about these figures was that they weren't human, but Imagin. One was a spider, one was a bat, and the last was a grasshopper.

"Look at all of them, crawling around their florescent jungle. Completely ignorant of the terror that lies in wait." The Spider Imagin snickered, stepping up on the ledge.

"I could do without all these lights. Humans think that just because they pollute the night with their fake luminescents, they can hold back the creatures that hide in the night." The Bat Imagin said, rubbing his eyes. "What say you, friend?"

The Grasshopper Imagin stood in silence. The Bat Imagin eyed him inquisitively, waiting for an answer. However, none came. After a few moments, The Grasshopper Imagin leaped off the building and ran off.

"Huh. What a weirdo." The Spider Imagin jested. "Well, time to get contracts and raise some hell, eh partner?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan!" The Bat Imagin exclaimed. The two laughed manically, unbeknownst to the civilians below.

**The Paradox Man**

**Track 1: Farewell to Halcyon Days**

The distorted sound of the train whistle blowing through the wind as it crashed through waves of sand. Alan stood on the shore, watching the train fly by through the haunting wasteland, confused by the crazy sky of techno colors.

"Where am I?" he asked, his words muffled by the air he moved through. He started moving towards the train; in it's sleek black design with yellow highlights. As he moved he felt his foot get stuck. He looked down to see a hand comprised of sand grabbing his ankle.

_Go back._

A voice called out. Alan looked around, trying to find its source.

_Go back._

Could the voice be coming from the hand?

_Go back. Or you'll die._

Alan looked back down at the hand, only to see the rest of the body form. The creature comprised of sand only existed from the waste up, but its face was unmistakable. It was Alan's face.

_All that awaits you is despair. Go back. Or you'll die._

Alan yelped as he fell back wards, away from the strange specter. The cry of the distorted train whistle blew out, Alan looking over to see the train heading straight for him. Alan screamed as the train made contact with him.

However, instead of being hit, Alan shot up in his bed, drenched in sweat, the sound of the morning train going by his window. Alan caught his breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead, throwing his legs off the side of the bed and looking up above his bed at a crucifix that hung off the wall.

"What is with that dream?" Alan raked his fingers through his brown hair. "Why do I keep having it? What does it mean?"

Alan attempted to proceed with his morning routine, only having a few hours before classes at Juilliard where he was practicing to be a professional violinist. He went through the motions; used the bathroom, made breakfast and coffee, practiced his kick boxing for an hour, practiced the violin for a hour, and finally he said a short prayer before going off to school.

He caught a train off the subway every morning to get to Juilliard from his apartment. After a few minutes he was there, ready to attend classes. Today proceeded like any other day; proceeding to classes, practicing between them, and failing to socialize with anyone. Not for lack of trying, but more of out of habit. His mother had raised him to devote himself to his passion and to the Lord. After grabbing a late lunch, Alan performed whatever melody he was composing that day in the square before heading home to order some pizza and practice some more. After dinner and practice, he trained with his kickboxing for a while, before taking a shower and praying before going to bed.

This is how all of Alan's days went. He was what you would call, "boring". Nothing ever happened to him. He never was popular, never played any sports despite clear athletic ability, and always landed first chair in orchestra. In college he was no different. His appearance was average, but that didn't stop anyone from being interested in him. He just chose not to associate with people. His days were too busy for him to socialize. He wouldn't know what to do with his life if he had anything interesting happen to him. The most interesting thing to ever happen to him is this crazy dream about the train, which he's been having since about a month ago.

Today was no different then any other day. He was going to lunch when he noticed something odd. A man was standing in the middle of the hallway, banging his head against the wall, sand at his feet. Some students were trying to get an answer out of him, but he just didn't answer, continuing to bang his head against the wall. Alan grabbed the crucifix he wore around his neck, saying a prayer under his breath. With every bang, sand fell out of the holes in the man's clothing. Alan inched closer, trying to get a better look. However, once he got close enough, the man stopped and turned his head towards Alan, his neck cracking as it pivoted.

"There he is…" the man said, speaking in two different tones. A wicked smile crossed his face as he lunged forward at Alan, roaring while diving. Alan instinctually kicked the man in the face, launching the man into the wall. The students were dumbfounded, watching in horror as the event unfolded. Alan stood in horror as sand poured out of the open wound on the man's face.

"Now that wasn't very nice. I've travelled half way around the world to find you, Mr. Sterling. Fufufu."

"What do you want, demon?" Alan responded, authority in his voice. _Is this what mom was talking about?_ He thought to himself as the man inched forward.

"Demon? Ha! You've been reading too many fairy tales. I am no demon. I am something more…tangible. I am an Imagin. And I was charged to find you." Suddenly, the man's body went limp and the sand fell to the floor, rising up into a physical form akin to a man, but with features of a spider. "I have crossed space and time to find you, Mr. Sterling. I'd appreciate it if you cooperated with me."

Alan dropped his stuff and assumed a fighting stance, ready for battle. _This is what my mom was training me for, right? _He thought. The students were crowding around.

"Is this some kind of stunt?"

"What is going on?"

"Is this some sort of cosplay?"

The Spider Imagin looked around, chuckling to himself. "It appears you all think this is some sort of rouse. Well, I can assure you…ITS NOT!" The Spider Imagin charged energy orbs in his hands and then fired them into the crowd with reckless abandon. Several explosions erupted, damaging structures and killing many innocents. A support beam was dislodged and fell towards Alan. He realized what it was like now, when you could easily dodge something but were in too much shock to move. However, a force grabbed him and he shot out of the building, landing in the courtyard outside.

Alan looked up to see a black creature in front of him, with yellow lines over his body. Alan was in shock. Did another creature just show up? Did this one save him? It lifted its head, revealing that its face was very similar to a grasshopper.

"I was saved by a grasshopper?" Alan said aloud, shocked.

"I am not a grasshopper. I'm an Imagin. I just happen to look like a grasshopper." The Imagin said in a calm manner. Alan just shook his head, standing up.

"Thank You, demon. But what about that one?" Alan pointed as the Spider Imagin walked outside.

"Bug face!? Why are you getting in my way? We're all supposed to get this kid!" The Spider Imagin yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

"Why am I so special!?" Alan asked. No one responded, though, as the Grasshopper Imagin charged the Spider Imagin, performing a flying jump kick and hitting the Spider Imagin in the chest. "Well, I think its time to get out of here." Alan muttered to himself. "Let the demons fight it out." Alan turned to run, but stopped when he heard a distorted train whistle. He looked into the sky to see a portal open and a black train with yellow highlights come down and stops right in front of him. Alan fell backwards. "This can't be happening…This can't be happening…" Alan muttered, in shock that the train from his dream was now in front of him.

The door opened and a girl with short blonde hair with glasses stepped out and waved for Alan to come to her.  
"Get into the DenLiner!" she yelled. Alan couldn't believe what he was seeing, what was happening. A normal day sudden was crashed by two sand demons fighting each other, both trying to get their hands on him, and a train from his dreams now sitting in front of him with a girl telling him to get in. This must be a dream. How could any of this be happening?

_All that awaits you is despair._

Why were those words echoing in Alan's mind now? Is this some sort of divine intervention into his life? Will getting onto the train lead him to despair? Or will staying with the demons lead him to despair? Or would him running forever be true despair? Why was this happening?

A hand rested on Alan's shoulder. He looked up to see the girl, a look of worry on her face.

"I know this seems confusing. But you need to accept it. You need to get on the DenLiner if you want to live. I promise I will explain everything once we are on the DenLiner. Just please, get on."

Alan looked at his school, seeing the Spider Imagin throwing a piece of rubble at the Grasshopper Imagin, who shattered it with a kick. This…DenLiner is probably a better option then staying with the demons.

"Okay." Alan said, standing up and dusting himself off. The girl smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him along to the train. Once he was in, it started to rocket off. Alan turned back, watching the chaos below envelope all that he knew. The train shot off into another portal, this one leading into a strange wasteland full of sand with a techno color sky. Alan stared in amazement at the world he now had entered.

"Wait." Alan turned to the girl. "This is the world from my dream. You mean its real?" She didn't seem to pay him any notice, moving into another car. "I'm talking to you." Alan called out, entering the car quickly. He noticed that she was behind a bar, seemingly making a…pot of coffee?

"I feel you would take this better with some nice, warm coffee. Owner says I make the best pot, as do most of the patrons."

_Patrons?_ Alan thought, looking around. There was no one there, but this was clearly a dining car. She quickly wiped up some coffee and handed him a cup, while directing him to a table. The cup had a contemporary design on it, white with black stripes and the rim having a railroad design around it. He took a sip, letting the warmth of the coffee relax him. She did make a good cup of coffee.

She set her cup down and cleared her throat. "My name is Maria. I work for this train, The DenLiner, as it's chef. The DenLiner is a time traveling train, allowing those who want to travel through time to do so, but only if they have a ticket. Those creatures are called Imagin. They are time travelers who are trying to go back in time to destroy our past to make a new future for themselves. They do this by granting people's wishes and then using their memories to go back in time."

"So, those…Imagin are evil. Then why did the grasshopper one help me?" Alan asked.

"I'm not sure. He actually came to us, saying that we need to protect you from some other Imagin. We're not sure what he meant, but clearly he was right in thinking you'd be attacked." Maria took a sip of her coffee. Alan needed a moment to process it all. Time traveling trains? Time traveling monsters? Being hunted by said monsters? Alan clasped his hands and prayed, trying to find solace in God's embrace. Maria simply watched, sipping on her coffee. She knew this would be tough for him.

Alan finished, and took another sip of his coffee. "So, what is going to happen now?"

"Well, you have a few options. One, you let us protect you until its safe. Two, you go back to your life, and live looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life."

"So, I live in train witness protection, or have to live with paranoia for the rest of my life? Great options." Alan sighed, despair growing in his heart. "I just wanted to be a violinist, a simple life doing what I love. What was so wrong with that?"

"Well…there is another option." Alan perked up at this. Maria shifted in her seat. "The Imagin gave us something before he left. He said it was your best chance at getting your life back. But, I'm not sure. The last person to try this…"

"What is it!?" Alan snapped. Maria flinched. Alan was desperate. He didn't want his life to be a life on the run. If there was an option, he'd take it.

"Its…to become Den-O." Alan raised an eyebrow.

"Den-O?"

"Yeah. You would become the protector of the time space continuum. A warrior who could fight the Imagin and protect the timeline." Maria responded, taking another sip of coffee. Alan leaned back.

_I'd be a superhero? I'd be able to fight those demons? Protect people? Protect time? _Alan was deep in thought when the door to the dinner car opened. Maria slid out of the seat and stood up.

"Owner! I found Alan Sterling and brought him aboard, as you requested." Alan turned to see an older man in a suit with a red tie. He had a cane in his right hand. He raised a hand and motioned for Maria to sit down. He walked over and eyed Alan, looking him over intently.

"So you are the one we risked our lives for? All because of the word of an Imagin." The Owner smiled softly, and walked over to the adjacent table. "I sure hope this is worth it. After all, we won't know till he returns."

At this, Alan perked up. "Wait. The demon is coming back onto the train!?"

"Yes." Owner responded. "The Imagin is returning. In the past, time has been saved by a handful of good Imagin who assisted us in defeating great evil. This Imagin seems to be one of them."

Alan's body shook. He grabbed himself, disturbed by the prospect of the demon…no, the Imagin coming back onto the train.

"I need to think about this. Please give me some time." Alan stood up and moved towards the door. Maria looked over at Owner.

"Remember, our greatest Den-O took some time to make his decision, too." Owner said. He then got up and moved to a lone table in the back. "I'll have my usual, Maria." Maria nodded, gathered up the coffee cups and went to the bar.

* * *

Alan found his way through several cars, exploring the train. He found a bath car, a couple of sleeping cars, even a movie car.

"Why would they tell me I'd have my life back? Wouldn't I have to live on this train to be this…Den-O?" Alan made his way to back to the dining car, entering to see Owner sitting in the back eating a plate of fried rice with a flag in it. Maria was cleaning some dishes. To Alan's surprised, there were a few people sitting in the car, eating food. Alan walked over to the bar and leaned against it, leaning in to Maria.

"So, these are people who wanted to travel in time?" Maria nodded.

"Yep. They had tickets so they are going to go on a trip. Then, when they're done, we'll drop them back in their own time."

"Huh. How do you get a ticket?" Alan asked.

"Oddly enough, we need to give you one. But, certain people are sensitive to the DenLiner. These people are called Singularity Points. An Imagin cannot contract with them and they are immune to any changes in the timeline." Maria smiled, putting the dish away. "And before you ask, you are not a Singularity Point. You are a special case."

"Special? How?" Alan asked, turning now to face Maria.

"Hehe, only in that the Imagin asked us to get you. And you're apparently able to become Den-O." Maria said, putting her arms on the bar.

"Is it rare for someone to be Den-O?" Alan asked.

"Not at all. It's rare that people accept the role." Maria said. Looking around, Alan noticed one man sitting alone. His cloths were in shambles and he was unkempt. "He's been displaced by time." Maria said, clearly noticing Alan was looking at him. "Sometimes, people are destroyed because their past selves are killed. When this happens, they are displaced in time." Sadness washed over Maria's face. "Time has a way of naturally fixing itself, but only through people's memories. So, unless a Singularity Point remembers them, they would never be able to return to their lives."

Alan felt sadness wash over him. "What a cruel existence. Why would God allow this?"

"There are some things neither man nor Buddha were meant to understand, but were only to be understood by God himself." A deep baritone pierce the car. Alan and Maria turned over to see the Grasshopper Imagin walking in. Alan could now get a good look at him. He was tall, with black skin. There were yellow lines all over his body, like tattoos. He had large yellow eyes and two small antennas coming off of his brow. The strangest thing was that he seemed to have a black duster.

"What do you mean, demon?" Alan asked in an aggressive tone. The Imagin scoffed.

"I am no demon. And I mean exactly what I said." The Imagin turned to Owner. "I'm glad you saved Mr. Sterling."

Owner raised a hand. "No need to thank me. Patrons," Owner addressed the people in the dining car, "Could you please leave us for a moment?" The patrons complied quite willingly, gathering their stuff and leaving the dining car in quick fashion. The car was now only occupied by Alan, Maria, Owner, and the Imagin. "Now then, Mr. Imagin. Do you mind explaining to us what this is all about?"

The Imagin nodded. "I have come back in time to protect the timeline. A series of catastrophic events are about to occur and they can only be stopped by this man," The Imagin pointed to Alan, "Alan Sterling." Alan and Maria gasped, while Owner simply stood up.

"I see. And what makes you think we should believe you? Yes, you fought the Spider Imagin and saved countless lives. But do you think that is enough to persuade us?"

"I feel more action would be required to persuade you. However, in coming to the past, there is certain information I cannot share, or else I'll disrupt the time space continuum."

"Wait," Alan interrupted, "isn't you coming back already disrupting the time space continuum?" The Imagin turned to Alan.

"I cannot answer that question." He responded. "Just know that my mission is just and I plan on saving us all." Owner cocked an eyebrow at this response. Alan, however, did not agree with this answer. He grabbed the Imagin and slammed him against the wall.

"You expect me to make a choice based off of that limited information? You could be hiding a betrayal, or trying to get us into a spot to destroy us. How can we trust you with that!?"

"Because," the Imagin spoke, "your mother sent me on this task."

At this, Alan let go of the Imagin and stepped back, falling into one of the chairs.

"My…my mother? But, she's gone. Disappeared. Do you mean she went through time?" Alan put his hand to his mouth.

"I cannot say. But I have specific instructions to save you, and for you to help me save the future." The Imagin's voice was chilling to Alan. His mother asked this demon to save him? To turn him into a hero? Some things started to click in Alan's mind.

"Alan," Maria asked, putting a hand on his shoulder, "What does the Imagin mean?"

Alan composed himself and began to speak.

"My mother disappeared after my 13th birthday. Up until that point, she had raised me Catholic, warning me of demons who would try to make deals with me. That they were made of sand and that I need to stay strong before their temptation. She also trained me so that I could fight, so that I could be able to fight the demons if a confrontation would happen. But, me being me, I sucked at boxing, but found a niche with kickboxing. Right before she disappeared, she told me to keep up with my prayers and training, and to follow my dreams in the hope of keeping myself safe." Alan paused. "It's all starting to make sense now. She knew this day would come. But, that doesn't explain the dream I've been having."

"Dream?" Owner chimed in. "What dream?"

"For the past month, I've been dreaming about this train, about this space it travels in, and of a sand version of myself telling me that I should run away from it all. I've just chalked it up to a weird reoccurring dream, but now I wonder if it was some kind of warning." The Imagin walked over and kneeled in front of Alan.

"There is no time for that. We need a decision, now. The Spider Imagin, along with his friend The Bat Imagin, are still causing havoc in New York City. If you don't become Den-O, they will destroy it all in search of you." Alan looked up and then looked at Owner.

"Owner, if I save New York City and become Den-O, would I have to live on this train to fulfill my duties?"

The Owner smiled.

"Not at all. We'll come get you when you are needed. However, it would certainly be easier on us if you stayed on the DenLiner."

_All that awaits you is despair._

Alan raked his fingers through his hair and then faced the Imagin.

"Alright. I'll do it."

The Imagin nodded while Maria smiled with joy. The Owner reached under his chair and pulled out a belt. "Then you'll need this." He said, tossing the belt to Alan. It was a simple belt, silver in color with a weird logo in the middle. There were 4 multi colored buttons on the side. "Oh, and this too. Your very own pass." Owner tossed a small case with a ticket inside to Alan. "To transform, you simply need to put on the belt and then slide the pass over the center piece. Your form will be based off of your imagination, so the stronger it is, the more powerful you will be. Just be careful while in the field." And with that Owner passed by and left the dining car.

"Alan. It fills me with joy that you will help in this fight. I will assist you in combat." The Imagin proclaimed.

Alan nodded. "Good. But, before we go, I need to settle something. I can't just keep calling you 'Imagin', you need a name." Alan said, the Imagin seeming taken aback.

"Then, what will you call me?" He asked.

"I'll name you after my favorite composer." Alan stood up and headed for the door, wrapping the belt around himself. He paused and turned at the doorway.

"Your new name is Bach."

* * *

The DenLiner rocketed towards the destroyed façade of Juilliard, rubble covering the once beautiful courtyard. It didn't stop, however, and Alan had to jump out. He managed to land on his feet, Bach landing next to him. They quickly turned around, the train passing and allowing them to see the destruction.

"This is horrible…" Alan said in horror. The place he considered his second home was destroyed. As he viewed the destruction, he saw the Spider Imagin, sitting on some rubble. The Imagin flashed a peace sign and leaped off the rubble.

"Yo! Glad you came! Ready to give yourself up?" he said in a cheerful tone. "My master will be pleased that you're just giving up willingly."

"I'm not giving up." Alan said defiantly. "I'm going to send you back to hell, along with every other demon who tries to destroy my city!" Alan raised up the pass and swiped it across the belt.

**SOLO FORM**

The belt announced in a mechanical monotone. Alan was engulfed by light, as a black and white suit manifested around him. A train started circling him, seemingly releasing pieces off of itself that floated around Alan. After a moment, the pieces attached to him, creating yellow armor around his body. A golden violin came off his head, rolling down what appeared to be tracks, stopping on his face and then breaking to form a visor. The visor was gold with blue insect like eyes and had antenna. Finally, a gold scarf came out of the back of his suit, resting on his back. Alan looked down at the suit he was wearing.

"This is pretty cool, actually."

"Den-O!? Dammit! Now this is going to be such a pain!" The Spider Imagin stomped his foot and then threw an energy blast at Alan. Alan dodged last second, the blast zooming past him and hitting a car.

"Alan, around your belt! There are pieces hanging off of it. That is the DenGasher! You can combine them into a weapon to fight with." Bach called out, pointing at Alan's waist. Alan looked down and grabbed the pieces, noticing markings on them.

"How do I do this?" he said, holding two different pieces. Suddenly, they snapped together, forming a solid block. "Huh, so if I use this one…"

The Spider Imagin charged forward, firing web blasts from his mouth, catching Alan off guard and knocking him on his back. Bach rushed to Alan's aid, but the Spider Imagin got to Bach and threw him across the courtyard.

"Did you forget that I'm a SPIDER? And now you're caught. Ha! Time to take you away." The Spider Imagin laughed. Alan managed to attach another piece to his DenGasher, now forming something akin to a sword, just without a hilt. He grabbed the last piece and attached it to the end, forming a sword, a white blade shooting out and cutting the webbing. "What?"

Alan cut through the rest of the webbing and hit the Spider Imagin across the chest with the sword. Taking advantage of the Spider Imagin's stagger, Alan hit the Imagin several more times, the last hit causing the Imagin to get knocked back, rolling on the ground away from Alan.

"How unfortunate that you've decided to become Den-O. This job is becoming more of a pain then its worth. Maybe I'll just kill you and deal with the consequences later." The Spider Imagin charged forward, claw out stretched, prepared to attack. Alan moved to block the attack, but the Spider Imagin's attack knocked the DenGasher out of Alan's hand. The Spider Imagin followed up with another attack across Alan's chest, knocking him back. Moving quickly, Alan kicked the Spider Imagin in the shin, staggering it, and then jumped up and began kicking the Imagin. Alan kicked the Imagin in the side, then followed up with a kick to the Imagin's chest. The Spider Imagin fell on his back as Alan prepared for another assault. However, Bach pulled himself out of the rubble and called out to Alan.

"Alan! Take the pass and swipe it over the belt again!"

"Huh? Okay." Alan took the pass and swiped it over his belt again.

**FULL CHARGE**

The belt announced in its mechanical monotone and then a yellow line shot out of the belt, attaching to Alan's foot.

"I'm not sure what this is suppose to do." Alan responded confusedly. The Spider Imagin got up, screamed in frustration and charged Alan. Alan instinctually kicked the Spider Imagin, hitting him in the chest. The Spider Imagin was knocked back, sparks coming off of his chest as he landed in rubble. The Spider Imagin staggered to his feet, let out a roar of pain, and then burst into an explosion. Alan shrunk back, guarding his face from the explosion. As the smoke cleared, there were no remains of the Spider Imagin. Bach returned to Alan's side and patted him on the back.

"Very good for your first fight. The Full Charge will help you defeat enemies easier." Bach said.

"Alright. I'll remember that. Now, how do I get out of this?" Alan asked.

"I wouldn't take off the suit just yet." A voice called out from the rubble. Alan and Bach took a combat stance as another creature came out from the rubble. This one looked like a bat. "You never know what could be hiding around the corner, hehe. My partner seemed to be all talk and no bite. What a worthless being." The Bat Imagin kicked a piece of concrete.

"Is this normal?" Alan asked Bach.

"Not generally, but these two were sent to get you."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes. Do you know why, silly creature?" The Bat Imagin asked sarcastically. "I'll tell you why. Our leader needs you and your power. So, just take off the belt and join us. I'm sure he'll be willing to fix up your precious city. Even reunite you with your mother." The Bat Imagin outstretched his hand.

"My…my mother?" Alan dropped his stance.

"Alan, NO!"

"Too late!" The Bat Imagin outstretched his wings and fired energy blasts at Alan and Bach, knocking them back into the street. "This is going to be too easy." The Bat Imagin began to laugh manically as Alan and Bach struggled to get up to face their new foe.

* * *

Welp, that's the first chapter! Please review and such. See you next time!


End file.
